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[SkylinerRon]

One of the main reasons you see C***s in Fords was in 54 Ford changed the oil pans to
front sump  which would hit either the front crossmember or the straight axle in pre 1954
Fords which back in the day was a big problem. Hemis and c***s fit much easier than any Ford
motor did.

You don't see too many C***s in 54 up Fords because it's much harder and expensive to do
than flop in a Y-Block, FE, or any Ford V-8 which is cheap and easy.

Duntov also had c*** give engines to all the aftermarket co's and magazines in 1955 to get them to
feature it.

As RMK57 said 57 c**** guys would be rough too........

Ron.

[Jeff Norwell]

When I bought my 57, I toyed with the idea of putting one of my early Hemis in the car.(gasser ,race car vibe)Look at the Strange Bird Falcon with a blown Nailhead)I even had a killer 401 Nailhead that was a possibility.But I made my mind up to go FE.I Love the FE engine,.... love Y-Blocks too... just not a practical application for my needs today.
I get strange flak about have early hemis in both my 32's.People telling me I should have a Flathead instead.A Flathead??.Pretty engines..... but so is my lawn mower! hahahaha
I get what your doing and it's YOUR CAR.
I think your 57 is neat.

Anyhow.....welcome aboard!

[Limey57]

People telling me I should have a Flathead instead.A Flathead??.Pretty engines..... but so is my lawn mower! hahahaha

Brilliant!  I'll save that quote, it will come in useful for some of the "period-perfect" hot-rodders I know.  I swear some of them would put genuine 1940's air in their tyres if they could get it..................

[JPotter57]

I knew his 57 had a Chevy engine in it when I approved his registration.  I had seen it on HAMB a lot, when the other guy built it originally.  Personally, I feel like he came here with a chip on his shoulder, wanting to stir crap.  I warned him ahead of time that most of the members are purist, so have a thick skin.  He came in first and foremost, with a "if you dont like it, screw you" attitude.  So, I didnt get involved and let everyone eat him alive.  Personally,  think the car looks cool, but I would much mch rather see it with an FE or 385 series BBF in it.  There is a blue Courier out of Canada with a 557 in it that rips, set up exactly the same way as this wagon.  I enjoy the gassers, but despise crossbreeding.  The main reason I approved his registration, is that i hoped he would bring more 57 gassers on board.  Way more 57 Fords that ran as gassers had FE Fords than ever had a scrub engine in it.  Why someone would cheap out on a gasser build with a SBC is beyond me, there are so many more cool engines to build than a 400 scrub.  Heck, a 368 Lincoln motor would probably run as well as the scrub and be more period correct, in my opinion.

[Jeff Norwell]

Did he leave?

[Jeff Norwell]

The Blue Courier is my pal Terry Denomme...... he wanted a car pretty much like his dad had running at the drags...Terry is a great guy.

[sprink88]

I agree car looks cool. I just cant get past that scrub. It's sacrilege! But to each his own. If I saw it at a car show, I would call it a bowtie in disguise again and walk away in shame. To bad. I see running 390's on craigslist here for 500-800 all the time here. Wouldnt be a bad choice. And easy fix for his problem.

[JPotter57]

Jeff, I do believe he left.  He said he would just hang out at the gasser sites where they liked stuff because it was cool, not by what powered it.  Folks come here know coming in, it is a site for 1 year of 1 make of car.  They should assume, that we are Ford purists here.  I really dont care if has a lawn mower engine in it, as long as he doesn't come here trying to stir up mess.  He acts like he has some sense, I will defend him to a point.  He comes on acting a fool, I stand back and let the dogs tear him up.  Simple as that.  Like Rob, when he came here, he had bought his wagon with a scrub in it.  He didnt make a big deal out of it.  After a short time, he decided that it would make more sense to put the correct make of engine in it, instead of continuing to cobble up front steering parts and still have a steaming pile at the end of the day.  Now, he has not only a great looking wagon, but it is reliable and fit to look at as well with the right make of engine in it.  I'm just not a fan of crossbreeding of anything.  Fords go in Fords, Dodges in Dodges, and GM in the landfill.  And yes, there are a TON of us who don't like sbc in 32 Fords or any other Ford street rod.  It costs no more to build a decent SBF than a scrub, and if you are a fabricator and not just a hack, it is no more difficult to put the Ford in a street rod than a scrub, especially with that 5 gallon pail of a distributor at the back of the engine, causing you to need to butcher the firewall.  Now Jeff, as for your hemi powered 32, I generally overlook the crossbreeding factor there, because it is a hemi, and not a dime for three dozen 350 chev.  That hemi wont cause me to bypass it at a show, like a sbc swap will.  The early hemi have historical significance in the drag racing world.   LS swaps into anything make me nauseous.  I stand by my statement, that Fords will go into early Fords as readily as anything else. And won't cause you to get eaten alive when you try to join an all Ford site.  Just my .02.

[robhaerr]

  Like Rob, when he came here, he had bought his wagon with a scrub in it.  He didnt make a big deal out of it.  After a short time, he decided that it would make more sense to put the correct make of engine in it, instead of continuing to cobble up front steering parts and still have a steaming pile at the end of the day.  Now, he has not only a great looking wagon, but it is reliable and fit to look at as well with the right make of engine in it. 

Hey James...thanks for the nod! (and nobody snickers at cruise nights much anymore...although some wonder out loud "he could fit a big block in there")

Rob
...back to the discussion...

[lalessi1]

Watch out guys, my dad built a Studillac in 1955. I am a product of "cross breeding"!!!! SBC's are too common to be intresting for my taste in any car!

[SkylinerRon]

Yeah but, the Caddy fit as well as the Stude V-8.
A friend of mine put a 392 Hemi in a 53 Stude back in the mid 60's, fit
like a glove, ran like a scalded dog especially with the Studes 4.56 rear!
He called it Vitamin C.

Ron.

[Jeff Norwell]

Wel.first..I did not mean to insult anyone who loves the venerable Flathead.Very Pretty engines and have a very big history.... I just can't justify the hi cost on 150 or so Horsepower.....ha ha ha.
I agree on the scrub deal.... I did not realize if this individual was here out of Love,Spite or gaining knowledge.I have seen honest folks seeking advice on a build and get beaten like dog(Not here,.."other"  places). I have also seen people come onto a message board seeking just to start a fire......then leave.(Not here,..."other places")
Maybe that's human nature.
Anyhow,.....I always love this site for the information,Knowledge and respect.I love all 57's from stocker 4 doors to wild drag cars.Been in love with the 57 Ford since i was a kid.I would very much disdain ANYONE coming to to cause S**t.

...wow.... Rob... your car had a taxi cab engine? Did not know that.

[Ford Blue blood]

Alrighty then.....that seams to be settled....but I am a cross breeder.  My 36 Chevy is all Ford drive train.  Just drives some of those from the dark side nuts! 

When I quit racing (too expensive even though I didn't wreck or break) I decided a street rod would be the thing.  Found a butt load of Ford sheet metal but it was way out of my price range (E-6 in the Navy in 74 = $450/mo) so along comes this old 36 2dr sdn for $100 and the rest is as they say history.

Short story about this combo.  Good friend here is a die hard Chevy guy.  Busted my chops from day one, all in fun but a steady stream none the less.  Well one day coming back from a rod run I'm tooling along and all of the sudden here's Burney sitting along side his 35 SBC powered Chevy under an over pass.  I pull in, back up and get out.  As I walk up to see if he needs help he goes "Bill I'll give you a $100 to get back in your car and never say you saw me here".  We have had many good times retelling that story.

[Jeff Norwell]

ha ha ha ..that's funny Bill.

[robhaerr]

...wow.... Rob... your car had a taxi cab engine? Did not know that.

Yep...here is the episode of Project 302 where we get Bobby Walden (Walden's Speed Shop, Pomona, CA) to commit to the swap and an explanation of The Why...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f9gVl_jTjY

...with the 350 pulled out to look at the mess, the rack and pinion unit un-crated, and some video of Walden Speed Shop...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvjLiPKdTMo

There is plenty more silly video that play back-to-back on the YouTubes if you are interested!

Cheers!
Rob
...all of you guys were terrific thru this project!